AirAsia SMS Booking - Another first in the nation!
We are proud to be the first airline in the world to offer flight booking and payment via Short Messaging Service (SMS). Now AirAsia guests can make their flight booking anytime and from anywhere 24 hours and 7 days a week.

Apart from making a Flight Booking, AirAsia guests can also make enquiry on lowest fare, departure or arrival information and city codes. All this is available at a normal cost of RM0.15 cents per SMS and without any additional charges. AirAsia guests can also register to be the first to know of new promotional fares as soon as they are made available.

"Flying should not only be fun and affordable but also convenient. And with AirAsia's SMS Booking, our low fares are only SMS away!" - Tony Fernandes.

Don't wait. Try it now! Simply key in 'AA' or AirAsia and sent it to '39399'

Low price and no-frills Malaysian air carrier AirAsia launched the world’s first short message service (SMS) airline booking today, hoping to tap the potential of some 10 million mobile phone users in the country. AirAsia chairman Datuk Pahamin A. Rajab said the move followed the success of its Internet ticketing service, which recorded more than RM80 million in sales since May last year.

"The Internet ticketing service currently contributed 45 per cent of our earnings, but we are not going to target another 40 per cent from the SMS service — merely one per cent is good enough.

"The main thing is to provide convenience to customers," he said after the launch of the SMS booking service in Subang by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

AirAsia had invested RM3 million to develop the SMS booking system, with collaboration from Maxis Communications Bhd and Dutch-based technology firm Getronics.

"Most of the investment went to the hardware and business development," Pahamin said.

In commemorating the launch of the SMS booking service, Pahamin said the airline would offer a discount ticket price of RM9.99 to any of AirAsia's 12 destinations for the first 1,000 seats to customers who SMS for booking, starting on Friday.

The service will initially be available to some three million Maxis' subscribers but other mobile operators are expected to come on board within the next one to two months, AirAsia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said.

Earlier, Abdullah, when launching the SMS service, said about 42 per cent of Malaysia's 23 million population owned a mobile phone, compared with 11.7 per cent who were Internet users.

"The new service would therefore allow AirAsia to reach out to nearly 10 million Malaysians," he said.

Users need only type "AirAsia" and send the SMS to 39399.

Apart from the SMS ticketing service, Fernandes said the airline was also working with Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) and several commercial banks to allow for payment through credit cards or direct debiting of customers' bank accounts in the next two months.

On the price war with Malaysia Airlines, Fernandes said AirAsia's revenue suffered after the national carrier launched domestic promotions in June to counter a travel slump induced by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak.

"We hope the Government would find an amicable solution.

"We do see ourselves as two different markets, but it is better for us to work together rather than creating wasteful competition," he said.

Earlier, Abdullah said it was up to the two carriers to draw up their pricing strategies but urged the two to "be friends" and to complement each other.

"the said Municipality of George Town shall on the First Day of January in the Year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and fifty seven and forever thereafter be a city and shall be called and styled the CITY OF GEORGE TOWN instead of the Municipality of George Town and shall thenceforth have all such rank, liberties, privileges and immunities as are incident to a city." - Queen Elizabeth II

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra may soon board the AirAsia group as a major shareholder.

Should Mr Thaksin's Shin Corp throw its weight behind the budget airline that's giving regional network carriers sleepless nights, analysts say Air Asia would be on its way to virtually tying up the aviation markets of Malaysia and Thailand, two of the largest in the region.

Thailand's The Nation newspaper yesterday reported that Shin is in talks with Tony Fernandes's upstart to take a controlling stake worth up to 500 million baht (S$21.8 million) in AirAsia's Thai unit. Thailand's largest telecoms conglomerate has confirmed it is in talks with potential partners to invest in low-cost airlines.

The Nation, quoting sources close to the aviation industry, reported on Tuesday that Shin was insisting on holding at least 51 per cent in Air Asia Aviation, which is currently capitalised at 200 million baht (S$8.7 million). The company would need fresh investment of at least one billion baht to commence its low-cost airline business, the source was quoted as saying.

An interesting question that arises from all of this is how a tie-up with Shin Corp would affect the expansion of AirAsia's regional routes, especially where it involves the use of Thailand's bilateral air pacts with other countries?

AirAsia will be offering low-cost flights between Thailand and Malaysia beginning next month.

Thailand signed an 'open-skies' agreement with Singapore, Brunei and Cambodia during the Asean leaders summit in Bali recently.

Kevin Scully, managing director of independent research house NetResearch-Asia, said a tie-up with Mr Thaksin 'would definitely make them more credible and give them more financial muscle'.

AirAsia, which already has a fast-growing domestic network in Malaysia, recently applied for a licence from the Thai government to operate services to various destinations in the country, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and Phuket. With seven planes currently in operation, and another 13 more to be commissioned by June next year, it is the fastest-growing low-cost carrier in the world.

Having already sewn up major domestic routes in Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur-based company is now keen to establish a regional footprint. It has recently been in talks with Singapore's Changi International Airport to get discounts on airport fees so that it can operate flights there.

Meanwhile, it has already started luring Singapore-based travellers with its daily flights from Senai in Johor state to Kuala Lumpur. AirAsia's latest move in Thailand comes on the heels of Singapore Airlines' decision to turn down the Thai government's invitation to participate in a budget airline based in Chiang Mai.

The Thai prime minister had invited Singapore's flag carrier to help launch a 'no-frills' airline to operate out of his hometown, Chiang Mai, after meeting Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in January.

If a deal with Shin Corp materialises, it won't be the first foreign interest in AirAsia. In June, two Saudi-based funds - IDB Infrastructure Fund and Crescent Venture Partners - pumped in some US$20 million into the company.

But the arrival of AirAsia in Thailand is not going to be welcomed by all.

Udom Tantiprasongchai, chief executive of private local airline Orient Thai, has already been quoted as saying that he viewed the arrival of the Malaysian budget carrier with concern.

'We should not turn over our national aviation rights to any foreign operator. Our national interest should be protected,' he was quoted as saying.

Orient Thai also plans to launch its own low-cost aviation business next year.

KUALA LUMPUR: THE country's only no-frills airline, AirAsia Sdn Bhd, hopes to become an Asean brand with its move to go regional next month.

It begins its maiden regional foray with a flight to Phuket from KL International Airport (KLIA) on Dec 8, a month earlier than scheduled. In January it hopes to fly into Bangkok from KLIA.

On the cards are flights to Singapore, Indonesia and even the Philippines, although AirAsia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said “it was still too premature” to disclose plans.

Besides that, the carrier would begin offering domestic low-cost air services in Thailand via AirAsia Thailand, a joint venture with Shin Corp of Thailand, in January.

Fernandes said the company believes in creating an Asean brand, and flying into the region would be a logical move.

He said the potential for a low-cost, no-frills airline in Asean was huge given that the 10 Asean nations had a combined population of 550 million, a large portion of whom were middle-class, and with a large population which had never taken to the skies.

He cited the example of Thailand, where of the country’s 65 million people only seven million had ever taken domestic flights.

In Malaysia, AirAsia has created a new market with its low cost fares and since its inception less than two years ago, has flown over 3 million people.

It now flies to 13 destinations using nine aircraft. Next month it opens its second hub in Johor's Senai Airport, hoping to tap into the Singapore market.

Given its success in the domestic market, Fernandes is confident AirAsia would be able to fly over 10,000 passengers to Phuket in a month.

It is offering Phuket at RM89.99 one-way and bookings can be made online.

“We are looking to connecting more points, such as Kota Kinabalu, Miri, and Langkawi from Phuket or Bangkok. Thailand is a great drawer of tourists, and we see this as a win-win for both countries,” he said.

AirAsia Thailand would be based in Bangkok and will fly to destinations such as Phuket, Hat Yai, and ChangMai. Fernandes hopes to begin services from Bangkok to Langkawi and even Phuket-Langkawi-Penang early next year.

Asked on the Bangkok-Singapore sector, Fernandes said: “We are still grappling. We still have no offer from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and we may fly Bangkok to Senai first.”

Although its plans for entry into Thailand is firm, that for flying into Singapore is far from clear.

There has also been no progress in its proposal for a bus service to ferry passengers from Singapore to Senai Airport, which Singapore's transport authorities had rejected.

Fernandes said: “It is Singapore which is losing on tourists arrivals and hotel rooms. ValuAir is going for a higher market. Their Ministry of Transport is too protective and they are not looking at the big picture.”

Hmm..Looks like this is a delicate issue. Singapore refused to allow air asia to gain prominence in singapore and also disallow bus service from singapore to senai for a obvious reason. Singapore needs to protect their national airline too, SIA as opening up would make them less competitive and lose out

Of course, on the other hand, it may also benefit singapore, as more people would probably travelled to singapore and vice versa as a result of this development. Tourism of both countries would benefit

But, of course, every decision has a tradeoff, and I supposed that's why it is such a delicate issue.!!!

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SINGAPORE: Budget airline AirAsia has begunticket sales for its regional flights to Bangkok from its Johor Baru hub. The inaugural flight will be on Feb 2.

AirAsia chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said the airline was confident the low fare would attract local and international travellers.

He said he expected the airline to fly at least 1.2 million passengers out of Senai airport next year.

He said AirAsia’s Bangkok-Johor Baru route aimed to encourage travel among the people of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

Fernandes said AirAsia was committed to its second hub, adding that Senai airport was set for bigger and better things in the future.

“Our enthusiasm for Johor Baru speaks for itself.

“We really believe that the market down south is huge and that people want low fares.

“We only make it available and easier for them,” he said at the launch of the ticket sales in the island republic on Wednesday.

One-way tickets for the Bangkok-Johor Baru sector are priced as low as RM99.99 and are available for booking.

The daily flights with a capacity of 148 seats would leave Johor Baru at 3pm and the return flight is at 4.40pm (Bangkok time).

Daily flights from Senai to other domestic destinations such as Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi, Miri and Penang would commence on Dec 3.

Fernandes said a Thai-language website for AirAsia was available to cater to its Thai customers, adding that plans were under way to have a website in Tagalog to reach out to the Tagalog-speaking community in the region, including in Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Fernandes said several governments had approached the airline to include their countries as part of AirAsia’s destinations but he declined to name them.

“We believe that we have changed the landscape of the aviation industry here.

“AirAsia has always aimed at being an airline serving Asean countries but there are even countries outside the region which have approached us,” he said.

On the “glitch” with the Singapore authorities which disapproved its proposal to operate a bus service to ply the Singapore-Senai route, Fernandes said the airline would continue with its plans to make Senai its second hub and would explore other alternatives.

AirAsia had initially planned its second hub in Changi but this was hampered by the high operating costs of the republic’s international gateway.

really? I prefer the new logo to the old....the new one has a more modern look to it! Very chic! Sorta Richard Branson-Virgin-like.....

The old airline mainly flew M'sia-E.Malaysia routes I think....

I believe AirAsia is not dumb, they'll initiate the JB-BKK routes first to promote Senai to S'pore passengers, but sooner or later, the flight will either transit via KLIA or there will be a seperate KL-BKK flight.

The company is still keen on Seletar airport in S'pore tho...which makes me wonder how the Senai-Seletar combo will work out.....it won't be cost-effective to duplicate your routes....